I've been researching my family history for 8 years now and it's about time I shared some of my findings.
My father's family come mostly from the North East of England (surnames Hudson, Lamb, Kerss, Pattison, Todner). Mum's father's family come from Birmingham, England (Darby, Pugh, Read) and Mum's mother's from mid-Wales (Pugh, Hughes, Jones).

Friday, 27 May 2011

Thomas Hughes 1812 - 1893 and Ann Morgan 1815 - 1904

Thomas Hughes was born in Llanfihangel parish, Cardiganshire, Wales in about 1812. He was the son of farmer William Hughes and his wife Anne Morgan.

Thomas married Ann Morgan at Eglwys Newydd chapel, Llanfihangel on 28 December 1838. At the time, Thomas was living at Abergwngu farm in Llanfihangel and was working as a carpenter.

His bride was the daughter of Morgan Morgan and Catherine Rees, born in Llanfihangel in 1814/15, and baptised at Eglwys Newydd on 28 January 1815. When she married, Ann was still living at Tynybryn farm, where she was born.

Shortly after their marriage the couple moved to Hill Gate, a house on the mountain road into Rhayader, a couple of miles from Abergwngu but in the county of Radnorshire and parish of Llansantfraid Cwmdauddwr. Their first four children were born at this house, while Thomas continued to work as a carpenter.

In the mid-1840s the couple moved again, to the parish of St Harmon where they began to farm at Upper Dolelfe. This farm is beside the main road between Rhayader and Llangurig, and they took advantage of its position to supplement their income by running an inn known as the Severn Arms.

The rest of the couple's children were all born at Upper Dolelfe. In total they had 12 children:

The couple farmed at Upper Dolelfe until Thomas' death in 1893. At that point, under the terms of Thomas' will, their son John took over the farm in partnership with his mother until her death in 1904.